Grading or dozing device



Patented Mar. 3, 1953 GRADING OR DOZIN G DEVICE Mitchell H. Ewers, Burnice F. Haney, and Theodore E. Ewers, Grants Pass, Oreg.

Application June 6, 1947', Serial No. 752,944

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a grading or dozing device and more particularly to that type of device which is power operated by being attached to a tractor or other power driven motivating means.

As is well known, grading devices are used extensively not only for grading and dozing but for many other tasks wherein they are subjected to strenuous service and severe abuse. Because of the abusive use to which the devices are subjected, it is customary to make them very rugged which increases the weight, makes transportation from one job to another diflicult and necessitates the incorporation of somewhat complicated means for adjusting the angle and tilt of the blade or moldboard for the difierent operations the device is called upon to perform.

It is an object of, the present invention to provide a grading or dozing device of suflicient strength to permit its use for heavy work and of light enough construction to permit its mployment on light work.

Another object is to make the device extremely simple to construct by utilizing a minimum number of parts without sacrificing the factors of strength required in a device of this type.

A still further object which results from the foregoing objects is to so utilize the simplified structure and minimum number of parts in such manner that improved means are provided for adjusting the tilt and angle of the blade or moldboard, such adjustment being accomplished by a minimum expenditure of time and effort and requiring but one person to do it.

Yet another object is to make a device of this type wherein there is provided a grading head and carrying frame each of which may be made as independent complete units and readily combined with a single rigid unitary structure.

With these and other objects in view, which may be incident to our improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations to be hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the several necessary elements, comprising our invention may be varied in construction, proportions and arrangements, without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

In order to make our invention more clearly understood, we have shown in the accompanying drawing means for carrying the same into practioal effect, without limiting the improvements in their useful applications to the particular constructions, which for the purpose of explanation. have been made the subject of illustration.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a grading device incorporating the invention herein;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device with the blade in one of its adjusted positions.

Referring to the drawings, the device includes a blade or moldboard l of usual rectangular outline and concave cross section. In accordance with the invention herein the rear face of the blade I is provided adjacent its top and bottom edges with blade carrying mean comprising rearwardly extending carrying braces 2. Each of these braces extends for a substantial equal distance to each side of the perpendicular center of the blade whereby any thrust exerted thereon will be distributed over an extensive area and not concentrated at one point. Centrally of each brace there is provided an opening 3 for receiving a carrying pin 4 which extends transversely across the blade and through the openings.

The pin 4 serves to mount the blade on the grader and to accomplish this, the pin is of sufficient length to also extend through aligned openings in a pair of supporting brackets 5 which project forwardly from a tilting member 6 said member being herein shown as a disk. The brackets 5 are diametrically arranged on the peripheral edge of member 6 and thus position the pin 4 parallel to the member 5 and at right angles to a line drawn through the axial center of same; the reasons for this will be hereinafter apparent.

In order to adjust the angle of the blade carrying means about the pivot pin 4 relative to the tilting member 5, there is secured, to the rear face of the blade at equal distances to each side of the vertical center, the extremities of an arcuate adjusting member. 7 herein shown as a semicircle. The member 1 extends rearwardly from the blade and overlies a co-operating control plate 8 which in the device illustrated is a rearward extension of the bracket 5. The member l and control plate 8 each have alignable openings 9 through which a locking pin in may be passed to secure the blade in any one of several pre -selected positions in angular relationship to the tilting member 6.

Considering the mechanism so far described, it will be seen that the tilting member and blade together with the angle adjusting means con stitute a unitary dozing or scraping head which are assembled together by the single carrying pin 4.

The scraper head is adapted to be joined to the carrying frame by mounting the tilting member 6 on a thrust member H, herein also shown as a disk, which is fixed to the frame. As indicated, the tilting member 6 and thrust member ll each have plane surfaces I2 and I3 of substantially large circular areas arranged in contacting face-to-face relationship. The aforesaid members are each provided with a center opening through which a pivot bolt passes thus constituting a turntable permitting tilting of the grading head by relative axial movement of the tilting member 6 and thrust member H.

In order to control the amount of adjustment or tilting, means are provided for locking the members against relative movement. Herein this is done by providing the thrust member H with openings to receive the locking bolts 14 which project forwardly thru elongated arcuate slots IS in the tilting member 6. In this way the tilting member of the turntable may be adjusted to any pre-selected position and then locked by tightening up on the locking bolts l4 thus bringing the faces l2 and !3 into contacting engagement. This contacting relationship establishes a substantial frictional resistance which assists materially in maintaining the members in locked position. Because of this, the strain on the locking means is con siderably lessened permitting the use of lighter parts.

As previously mentioned, the thrust member H is a fixed part of the carrying frame, the latter also including side leg members [6 having their forward ends secured to the rear surface of the thrust member and their rear ends interconnected by a cross member l'l. It will be noted that the members I6 connect to the thrust member II in the second and third quadrants thereof and to more evenly distribute the driving thrust there is further added a pair of leg member braces 18. These braces connect at their forward ends to the thrust member in the first and fourth quadrant thereof and have their after ends respectively secured to the frame members l6 intermediate their ends.

From the foregoing description of the carrying frame, it will be seen that the driving thrust is substantially evenly distributed over the entire thrust member H by the symmetrically disposed leg members l8 and I6 and transmitted directly through the thrust member to the tilting member 6 which in functional effect becomes integral with the thrust members when the parts are in locked position. As the pivot pin i extends diametrically across the tilting memher, it receives the full effect of the thrust and transmits it directly to the blade; Thus, be cause all the parts when in operating condition are locked to one another and the center of the blade is in alignment with a line drawn through the center of the thrust member, the full thrust of the tractor or motivating means is delivered directly to the blade.

Because of the foregoing, the device may be of relatively light construction for not only does the turntable structure of tilting and thrust members transmit all the thrust to the blade but it also tends to absorb and dissipate any shock referred back thru the blade, as frequently occurs. Because of its light construction and simple adjusting means, readjustment of the blade to a new position may be readily accomplished. Furthermore, the device may be readily transported by simply separating the frame and grading head and handling each as a separate unit. It is likewise apparent that complete assembly or disassembly of the mechanism involves the manipulation of the pivot pin 4, tilting pin l9 and locking bolts l4, thus greatly facilitating replacement of damaged parts.

In order to secure the grader to a driving means, the extremity of the arms [6 carry links 28 provided with openings 2| for pivotally connecting same to a tractor or the like. In addition there is provided a lift bar 22 having an upwardly projecting link 23 with a transverse link 24 for receiving a lifting chain or cable connection. As the foregoing means for connecting to a tractor is old, no further description is considered necessary here.

While we have shown and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, we wish it to be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details of construction herein set forth, by way of illustration, as it is apparent that many changes and variations may be made therein, by'those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

The following is claimed:

1. In a grading blade attaching and supporting assembly, a carrying frame including a plurality of symmetrically disposed legs, a circular thrust member rigidly secured on one face thereof to the legs and provided with a central opening, a circular tiltable member in axial alignment with said thrust member arranged in contacting face to face relationship and provided with a central opening, a pivot pin extending through the central openings of the thrust member and tiltable member connecting said members for relative axial .movement. releasable locking means normally holding said tiltable member in fixed engagement with the thrust member, a pair of diametrically spaced brackets extending from the tiltable member, a pivot pin carried by said brackets and extending transversely across said tiltable member, blade carrying means comprising rearwardly extending braces pivotally mounted on said pivot pin, a blade attached to said carrying means, a pair of spaced concentric arcuate members attached to the blade, one of said spaced brackets extending between said arcuate members and means for locking the arcuate members to the end of said one of said diametrically spaced brackets to fix the blade in selected angular positions.

2. In a grading blade attaching and support- I ing assembly, a blade, a carrying frame including a plurality of symmetrically disposed legs, a thrust member comprising a first disk rigidly secured on one face thereof to the legs and provided with a central opening, a tiltable member comprising a second disk in axial alignment with said first disk arranged in contacting face to face relationship thereto and provided with a central opening, a pivot pin extending through the central openings of the disks and connecting said disks for relative axial movement, releasable locking means normally holding said first disk in fixed engagement with the second disk, a pair of diametrically spaced brackets extending from the second disk, a pivot pin carried by said brackets and extending transversely across said second disk, blade carrying means comprising rearwardly extending braces pivotally mounted on said pivot pin, a pair of spaced concentric arcuate members attached to said blade, one of said spaced brackets extending between said arcuate members and means for locking the arcuate members to the end of said one of said diametrically spaced brackets to fix the blade in selected angular positions.

MITCHELL H. EWERS. BURNICE F. HANEY. THEODORE E. EWERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Nicolai Feb. 25, 1908 Number Number 15 Number 

